ALBANY, N.Y. May 24, 2022 — New York State United Teachers President Andy Pallotta issued the following statement today mourning the victims of the elementary school shooting in Uvalde, Texas.
“Our hearts are broken. In New York, our emotions are still raw from the senseless mass murder at a Buffalo supermarket just more than a week ago, and now we watch as our colleagues in Texas, the students they devote themselves to and their families are forced to grapple with yet another horrific mass shooting. We stand with the families of those killed and the school communities affected by this tragedy.
“What will it take to put a stop to these hateful, sickening acts of violence? Our schools must be a safe place for all. As we mourn those who have lost their lives, we must also stand up and demand better for children, for parents, for educators and for communities across the nation.”
In addition to the immediate actions and advocacy that NYSUT and our national unions are engaged in in Albany and in Washington, NYSUT is launching a new Safe Schools for All Task Force to hear from our members on the issue of school violence and get your input on next steps. The Task Force is charged with building a list of recommendations for how our state and districts can best support safe public schools at the center of every community. We will focus on several key areas most crucial to building safer school environments. LEARN MORE.
New York State United Teachers is a statewide union with more than 600,000 members in education, human services and health care. NYSUT is affiliated with the American Federation of Teachers, the National Education Association and the AFL-CIO.